Electrically illuminated sign



Nov. 13, 1962 L. L. WAUGH 3,064,246

ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Dec. 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 3 00 o LORIN L. WAUGH I l INVENTOR.

BY M. Z 22 70/ I Nov. 13, 1962 L. WAUGH ELECTRICALLY ILLUMINATED SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1959 IN VEN TOR.

LORIN L. WAUGH FIG. 6

FIG. 4

3&54246 Patented Nov. 13, 1962 3,064,246 ELECTRIQALLY HJLUMINATED SIGN Lorin L. Waugh, 2405 4th Ave, (Iouncil Binds, Iowa Filed Dec. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 853,639 2 Claims. (Cl. 3tl339) This invention relates to animated signs of the type in which letters forming words travel across a sign panel depicting messages, such as news items, and in which circuits are completed to light bulbs of the sign panel by means of a switching mechanism including a perforated tape traveling over mercury with the mercury passing through the perforations to engage contacts of a terminal block also positioned in a recess of a receptacle in which the mercury is positioned.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for completing circuits to light bulbs of an animated sign through perforations of a tape.

I am aware of a certain patent to I. E. Long, Reissue 16,809, issued December 6, 1927, in which a mercury bath and a moving perforated tape are employed. While I have no doubt that this construction was probably marketed, it is not at this time on the market in any place, and in my opinion, has not received general acceptance.

In this construction the tape is positioned on the bottom of the mercury bath where it frictionally engages the bottom all along a large portion of the tape. This frictional engagement is made large by the necessity of bars or means to hold the tape downward against the bottom and it is an object of my invention to provide a construction in which the tape is exposed and floating above the bottom of the mercury and against the bottom of a perforated terminal block where there is no frictional engagement of my tape with the bottom of the bath. I have discovered that no means other than the floating nature of the tape is needed to hold the tape against the bottom of the terminal block contacts.

I have found that in the absence of any other force such as bars or pressure means for holding the tape against the terminal block contacts other than the floating nature of the tape itself, results itn a contact which is of such little friction as to be operable and practical in a most important sense.

It is my opinion that the reason switches of the type which have a tape forced against a bottom of a bath for so much friction is because mercury is approximately 13 times as heavy as water and is one of the heaviest substances, whereby the tendency for a belt of any type to float would be so great that means involving much pressure and, therefore, much frictional resistance would be needed to hold such a tape against the perforated bottom of a bath of the prior art type.

My new concept takes advantage of the fact that mercury is the heaviest element and puts this to advantage instead of disadvantage by floating the tape against a terminal block contact since I have found by experiment the pressure of the mercury against the tape is adequate of itself to hold the tape against the terminal block contact in a manner sufficient to seal off access to the terminal block contacts except through the tape perforations.

It might seem to some that the mere application of more driving power on the tape would be sufficient to overcome the resistance of prior art constructions and lead to practical operability, however, the application of more power has the disadvantage of a more costly high powered motor, increased power requirements for the motor; the increased cost coming from the fact that the whole structure must be stronger to support the heavier motor and heavier frictional characteristics, although by far the most important disadvantage is the lack of reliability of the tape operation.

This lack of reliability 1 have discovered is because the heavier tape o required is necessarily much heavier and is, therefore, punched with greater difliculty as leads further to greater cost, especially as compared with the very thin tape which I have found works very reliably with my floated tape construction.

However, the most important advantage of all of my floated tape construction is in the availability of tapes strong enough when used with my construction to withstand long hours of continuous use, month after month and year after year. Such tapes as I have been able to find in the market, I have found by experiment, are not sufiiciently strong for reliable continuous use without breakage when they are forced against the bottom of the bath in the prior art method.

A further object is to provide a construction which is adapted to avoid the tape mis-alignment problem which becomes greater when the tape runs against frictional resistance as l have discovered, these problems are serious despite the means for guiding a tape because of the doubling up or folding over of the tape which can occur.

Various types of circuit making and breaking elements have been provided for animated signs, and the like, and although some of these use perforated tape for selecting the circuits it has been found difiicult to actuate rigid elements to make contact through small perforations in even relatively thin tape. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a fluid contacting element, such as mercury, wherein with a tape floated on the mercury the mercury flows through perforations of the tape and makes positive contact with contact points of an insulated terminal board above the mercury and tape.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an animated sign actuating mechanism in which the contacts to complete circuits to light bulbs are made by fluid passing through perforations of a tape whereby the least possible power is required to actuate the tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign of the character described wherein a plurality of individually energized light bulbs form the sign panel and wherein control means are provided for energizing certain ones of the bulbs to form letters of a word.

Another important object of the invention is to provide selective switching means which will complete an electrical circuit to energize successive rows of bulbs across the sign panel forming letters and words of a desired message whereby the words appear to flow across the panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign of the character described having control means of simple construction, yet positive, durable, and eflicient in opera tion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrically illuminated sign as described, the construction of which permits of a greater economy in manufacture, operation, and maintenance of the sign.

Another object is to provide an electrically illuminated sign wherein a novel switching means is employed to energize selected ones of the bulbs of the sign panel comprising wire connecting each light bulb to a terminal pin, a second terminal, a mercury puddle in contact with the respective terminals and completing the circuit, and further including a switching means comprising a continuously moving perforated belt passing between one of the terminals and the mercury preventing completion of the circuit except at times when a perforation registers with a terminal pin allowing completion of a circuit to a respective bulb through the mercury conductor.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a sign panel, a control box having transformers, a switch, and a switching mechanism, including a base having a recess in the upper surface, a terminal block having contact pins extended therethrough positioned in the recess, a perforated tape trained through the recess and below the terminal block, mercury in the recess, and a multi-wire cable extended from the contact pins in the terminal block to the sign panel, and a motor mounted on the control box and operatively connected to the tape.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the animated sign assembly.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the control box of the animated sign assembly taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1 with the par-ts shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 3 is a view looking upwardly toward the under surface of the terminal block with the perforated tape thereon and with parts broken away.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the switching mechanism assembly taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2, with the parts shown on an enlarged scale. 7

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section through the switching mechanism taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section through the control box ;taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 1 and with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 7 is a view showing a cross section through the switching mechanism, taken substantially on line 7-7 of FIGURE 5, and having a wiring diagram shown in combination therewith.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing from the spirit and intention of the device, ,which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of the invention it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following.

7 29 a terminal block positioned in the recess of the base,

numeral, 22 a perforated tape trained through the recess of the base, numerals 24 and 26 transformers positioned in the control box, numeral 28 a switch on one end of the control box, and numeral 30 a motor mounted on a side wall of'the control box and operatively connected to the tape. I

The' control box 12 is provided with a base 32, 'end walls 34 and 36', side walls 38 and 40, and a cover 42 on which is a handle 44. The motor 30 is mounted by a bracket 46' on the side 38 of the control box and the motor shaft 48 extends through'the side wall, as shown in FIGURE 6. The inner end of the motor shaft is providedwith a pulley750 having affriction covering of rub-" her or the like on the outer surface, as indicated by the numeral 52, and thefpulley is retained against a collar 54 on the shaft, by a nut 56.

' gages lower ends of pins 66 thatextend through the terminal block 29. The terminal block is retained in spaced in openings 74 in ends of the terminal block 20. The ends 72 of the runners extend upwardly above the upper surface of the terminal block, as shown in FIGURE 5.

The control box is also provided with a roller 76 which is carried by arms 78 and 80 pivotally mounted on the end wall 34 by a bracket 82, and the arms are urged downwardly by a spring 84, the upper end of which is secured to the arms by an eye 86 and the lower end to the lower part of the wall 34 by a bolt 88. The spring urges the roller 76 against the tape 22 whereby the tape is retained against the friction surface of the pulley 50 so that positive means is provided for driving the tape.

The terminal block 20 is retained in position in the recess 18 by a latch 91? that is secured to the base 16 by a screw 92, and the latch is provided with a hole 94 that is positioned over an end 72 of one of the runners.

The upper ends of the pins 66 are secured to wires 26', as shown at the points 98, and the wires extend through a cable to the sign panel 14 in which the wires are connected to light bulbs 102 on spaced rods 104. 7

An electric cord 106 having a plug 108 on the extended end extends through a ferrule 110, of insulating material, and one wire 112 of the cord is connected to one terminal of the switch 28. The same terminal of the switch is connected by a wire 114 to one terminal'of the motor 30,

and the opposite terminal of the motor is connected by a' wire 116 to the transformers .24 and 26. The trans-' formers are connected by a wire 118 to one of the ends 72 of one of the runners 68 or 70, and the transformers are also connected by a wire 120 to the rods 104 upon which the light bulbs 102 are positioned. The other wire 121 of the cord 106 is connected to the trans-. former 26. T

The light bulbs 102 are connected by the wires 96 to the pins 66 in the terminal block 20, and as the tape 22 is drawn across the lower surface of the terminal block the mercury is crowded into the perforations 64 completing circuits to lights corresponding with the holes or perforations.

The switch 28 is also connected to the transformer 24 by a wire 122 and to the transformer 26 by a wire 124.

Access is provided to the interior of the control box 12 by removing the side Wall 40 which is secured in position by screws 126 that are threaded in lugs 128 in the corners of the casing of the control box. 7 V The connections 98 of the wires 96' to the pins are protected by a block 130 of insulating material positioned on the upper surface of the terminal block 20.

The perforations 64 in the tape 22 are positioned to. form letters, as shown in FIGURE 6, or other characters, and with the perforations forming a letter, such as, the let-' ter F shown in the drawing the same letter will be, reproduced on the sign panel 14. By this means any letter or groups of letters may be displayed on the sign panel. 7

Since a liquid tends to seek its level and the mercury is depressed beneath its level by the tape, the mercury. tends to flow upwardly through the holes in the tape, because of this level-seeking tendency.

From the foregoing specification it'will become ap parent that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish thefunctions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner and that its simplicity, accuracy and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device considering what it willaccomplish and that it will find an important place in the. art to which it apertains when once placed on the, market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear un- V derstanding of the invention after considering the de scription in connection with the drawings.

Changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice if desired. i

Having now described the invention that which is claimed to be new and desired to be produced by Letters Patent is:

1. A traveling message sign comprising a sign panel, a plurality of light bulbs in said sign panel, a control box, a multi-wire cable connecting the sign panel to the control box, a base having a recess in the upper surface, mercury in said recess, a terminal block having a plurality of contacts therein positioned in said recess of the base, a perforated tape positioned to travel between the terminal block and mercury, the parts being positioned whereby the mercury is forced by its tendency to seek its own level through the perforations to engage the contacts, means for actuating the tape, and means for supplying current to the mercury and contacts whereby mercury crowded into the perforations of the tape completes circuits to the light bulbs of the sign panel, and in which said tape has characters thereon each formed by a multiplicity of perforations and in which a substantial number of the contacts in said base are arranged in linear rows, each row being in general alignment with and above at least one certain perforation on said tape whereby such a certain tape perforation passes multiple contact points in a corresponding row in each revolution of said tape, the total number of tape perforations, contact points and light bulbs being sufficient to provide a visible traveling message.

2. A switching device for a traveling message sign comprising a base having a recess in the upper surface, mercury in said recess, a terminal block having a plurality of contacts therein positioned in said recess of the base, a perforated tape positioned to travel between the terminal block and mercury, the parts being positioned whereby the mercury is forced by its tendency to seek its own level through the perforations to engage the con tacts, means for actuating the tape, and means for supplying current to the mercury and contacts whereby mercury crowded into the perforations of the tape completes circuits to said contacts, and in which said tape has characters thereon each formed by a multiplicity of perforations and in which a substantial number of the contacts in said base are arranged in linear rows, each row being in general alignment with and above at least one certain perforation on said tape whereby such a certain tape perforation passes multiple contact points in a corresponding row in each revolution of said tape, the total number of tape perforations and contact points being sufficient to adapt the said switch to use as the character control switch for a traveling message sign.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

